History repeats itself as Trudeau visits Vancouver City Hall

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated that stance on Thursday, telling reporters, “I’ve been saying for years that the Great Bear Rainforest is no place for an oil pipeline, (and) that continues to be my position”.

“If the mayor pointed out that he feels fortunate that the priorities that I have put forward for the country resonate and are similar to the priorities that the people of Vancouver have put forward, I can assure it is not an accident”, Trudeau said. “As you know, it was home to me for many years, and still very much is a second home to me”.

“It’s so refreshing to have a partner in Ottawa that treats cities with respect and recognizes we are so vital to the country’s success”, Robertson said, pointing to the re-opening of the Kitsilano Coast Guard base as a sign of that respect.

More than three hundred people waited an hour in the snow and rain for a glimpse of the new prime minister, who staged the event – a meeting with Mayor Gregor Robertson and a news conference – with no clear goal other than to ostensibly signal his government is on the same page as Vancouver’s.

“We certainly are optimistic that the prime minister has made commitments to review previous legislation that was passed by the previous government that may not be up to speed where current case law is around rights and title”, Campbell said.

And while there wasn’t anything in the form of new announcements, the trip was heavy on symbolism, marking a departure from the frosty relationship Stephen Harper had with Robertson.

Municipal governments have a new willing partner in Ottawa to help them address issues such as affordable housing and public transit, and First Nations have a federal government that appears willing to involve them more in important economic development decisions.

The message was one of change.

Trudeau may have been light on details, but the mayor praised his government and said the city is excited to work with him. “The people best to figure that out are in this room”.

Now Vancouver must wait to see if Trudeau delivers on promises like building a Broadway subway line, which requires change to the current funding formula.

Asked when he planned to legalize marijuana – and take the monkey off the back of the city, which has resorted to licensing medical pot shops as a way to combat the proliferation of such venues – Trudeau did not say.

The new system of marijuana sales and distribution would include appropriate federal and provincial excise taxes.

That was the last time a prime minister visited Vancouver City Hall.

Robertson handed Trudeau a photo of the senior Trudeau’s visit 42 years ago.

It’s music to Robertson’s ears.

“We’ve had to undertake regulation of the dispensaries because there were no thoughtful controls coming from Ottawa historically”, Robertson said.